Is hydroponic produce 'organic'? Next USDA chief will decide

摘要

If Sonny Perdue is confirmed as Agriculture secretary this month, he'll quickly face an elementary question about farming: What's the definition of soil? That's a hot issue for the organics industry, which is caught up in a debate over whether produce grown hydroponically or aquaponically should continue to be eligible for organic certification. The Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board will take up the issue at a meeting in Denver on Wednesday. Eventually, the board will make a recommendation to the USDA chief, although industry sources said they don't expect a decision out of the meeting.